Antibiotics, birth mode, and diet shape microbiome maturation during early life

NA Bokulich, J Chung, T Battaglia… - Science translational …, 2016 - science.org
NA Bokulich, J Chung, T Battaglia, N Henderson, M Jay, H Li, A D. Lieber, F Wu
Science translational medicine, 2016science.org
Early childhood is a critical stage for the foundation and development of both the
microbiome and host. Early-life antibiotic exposures, cesarean section, and formula feeding
could disrupt microbiome establishment and adversely affect health later in life. We profiled
microbial development during the first 2 years of life in a cohort of 43 US infants and
identified multiple disturbances associated with antibiotic exposures, cesarean section, and
formula feeding. These exposures contributed to altered establishment of maternal bacteria …
Early childhood is a critical stage for the foundation and development of both the microbiome and host. Early-life antibiotic exposures, cesarean section, and formula feeding could disrupt microbiome establishment and adversely affect health later in life. We profiled microbial development during the first 2 years of life in a cohort of 43 U.S. infants and identified multiple disturbances associated with antibiotic exposures, cesarean section, and formula feeding. These exposures contributed to altered establishment of maternal bacteria, delayed microbiome development, and altered α-diversity. These findings illustrate the complexity of early-life microbiome development and its sensitivity to perturbation.
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